Project Gutenberg's The Survivors of the Chancellor, by Jules Verne

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Title: The Survivors of the Chancellor

Author: Jules Verne

Posting Date: November 20, 2008 [EBook #1652]
Release Date: February, 1999

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SURVIVORS OF THE CHANCELLOR ***

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THE SURVIVORS OF THE CHANCELLOR.

DIARY OF J.R.KAZALLON, PASSENGER.

By Jules Verne

CHAPTER I.

CHARLESTON, SEPTEMBER 27th, 1869.--It is high tide, and three o'clock
in the afternoon when we leave the Battery-quay; the ebb carries us off
shore, and as Captain Huntly has hoisted both main and top sails, the
northerly breeze drives the "Chancellor" briskly across the bay. Fort
Sumter ere long is doubled, the sweeping batteries of the mainland on
our left are soon passed, and by four o'clock the rapid current of the
ebbing tide has carried us through the harbour-mouth.

But as yet we have not reached the open sea; we have still to thread our
way through the narrow channels which the surge has hollowed out amongst
the sand-banks. The captain takes a south-west course, rounding the
lighthouse at the corner of the fort; the sails are closely trimmed; the
last sandy point is safely coasted, and at length, at seven o'clock in
the evening; we are out free upon the wide Atlantic.

The "Chancellor" is a fine square-rigged three-master, of 900 tons
burden, and belongs to the wealthy Liverpool firm of Laird Brothers. She
is two years old, is sheathed and secured with copper, her decks being
of teak, and the base of all her masts, except the mizzen, with all their
fittings, being of iron. She is registered first class A I, and is now
on her third voyage between Charleston and Liverpool. As she wended her
way through the channels of Charleston harbour, it was the British flag
that was lowered from her mast-head; but without colours at all,
no sailor could have hesitated for a moment in telling her
nationality,--for English she was, and nothing but English from her
water-line upwards to the truck of her masts.

I must now relate how it happens that I have taken my passage on board